A WEEKLY COMMENTARY
Year Nineteen ... Number Fifty-One ... December 22, 1972
PROOFS OF A CONSPIRACY TO BUILD
A TOTAL, MANAGED GLOBAL SOCIETY
PART SIXTEEN
HOW PPBS PROMOTES THE NEW
RELIGION FOR THE NEW SOCIETY
The messianic character of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting System which now has been integrated into every phase of government activity, with its accent on Health, Education and Welfare, must be thoroughly understood if we are to comprehend the true danger of PPBS.
While posing as a managerial and budgeting system, PPBS is much more. Its controllers and change agents intend it as a means for making a new kind of man, who will be one cell in a new social body, the responsibility of a new government, the inhabitant of a new kind of world, and a believer in a new world religion.
"Behold, we shall make all things anew," is the messianic slogan of these God-imitating designers and operators of a man-controlled system of evolution which is to usher in a New Order of the Ages, a very kingdom of heaven wherein Man will be God and there may be no gods before Man. And in this new man-made heaven on earth there shall be no tears to wipe away, no hunger to assuage, no desires left unfulfilled; for the new, man-made inhabitant of this New Society of the World will not possess the ability to comprehend the meanings of such words as sadness, hunger, desire. He will be conditioned to accept his appointed place with contentment, resignation, fatalistic complaisance. In the words of the economist Ludwig von Mises:
"The common man will be freed from the tedious job of directing the course of his own life. He will be told by the authorities what to do and what not to do; he will be fed, housed, clothed, educated and entertained by them. But, first of all, they will release him from the necessity of using his own brains. Everybody will receive 'according to his needs.' But what the needs of an individual are, will be determined by the authorities. . . ."
If such self-appointed "authorities" are to condition all other men to accept their absolute dominion, in spiritual and mental as well as in physical domains, these authorities must go beyond the use of the Delphi Technique in discerning the future, and beyond the mindless Law of the Computer in judging the "here and now." They must fashion for themselves a religion which will act as a cohesive to bind these robot-like men into a social body. This requires some kind of a religion which denies the existenence of a transcendant God yet proclaims the authority and infallibility of an invisible and immanent "Big Brother," who is able to open and close at will the "book of life."
The religion of Humanism best fits the aims and objectives of these New World Makers; since it proclaims that there is a god, but at the same time insists that god is man and man is god..
In a recent proselytizing effort, a letter from the publishers of Humanist Magazine contained this statement and question:
"There are millions of people in the world who are humanists. There are probably many additional millions who are humanists without being aware of it. Do you fall into this group? That is, do you reject belief in supernatural or authoritarian religion, and do you feel that the basic concerns of man should be directed toward fulfilling the human potential?"
An affirmative answer to the posed question supposedly qualifies one for membership in the religion of Humanism; and an affirmative answer may also make one a believer in the Planning, Programming, Budgeting System that is replacing the traditional American Reprensetative Republican System of government, just as Humanism is replacing the traditional Christian belief in a Triune Godhead. For, PPBS and Humanism are complementary and "go together" like sun and day, or moon and night.
First, let's discuss Humanism; then we'll see how it and PPBS go together.
Webster tells us that Humanism is the learning, or cultural impulse, imparted by those who brought the (pre-Christian) Greek and Roman classics into new vogue during the Renaissance. But Webster defines the term as though it were but an intellectual movement, an interest in academics and the liberal arts and, at best, a philosophy of life. But Humanism is much more than this. Humanism insists that man is to be treated as an end in himself. No supernatural, no spiritual, no life beyond the grave; life is a one-way street with a dead-end. Hence, the fulfilling of the human potential should be the only concern of man.
In early Christian times the Apostle Paul confronted the early Humanists -- then called Hedonists -- on Mars Hill in Athens, where he told the assembled and querilous philosophers of the (to them) unknown God. The Hedonists were of the "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" crowd, which included the Cyrenaics and the Epicurians. The Hedonists, however, regarded intellectual pleasures as being of a higher order than carnal pleasures, and they stressed the merits of knowledge for pleasure's sake and aimed at "the greatest happiness of the greatest number," from which derived the utopian idea that the best of worlds would be a world ruled by scientists and philosophers.
In the 14th century (Renaissance period) the Hedonists began to call themselves Humanists, and by reviving the ancient Greek and Roman -- pre-Christian -- ideas and ideals, the Humanists, affected both education and religion.
"Primarily, Humanism is the assertion of individual, ego-centered liberties -- a wholly libertine philosophy," stated Mary Royer, M.S., who is National Chairman of the National Parents League; was a member of President Kennedy's Committee on Delinquency and Crime; and Oregon State Chairman of the National Justice Foundation of America.
"Humanism has as its goal man himself," said this acknowledged authority. "The Christian view of man is dominated by the Doctrine of Immortality, which indicates man's special relation to God. . . . The teachings of Humanism are completely divergent from the teachings of Christianity when the Humanists teach that man is born good, and if left to his own instincts cannot fail to achieve happiness. . . .
"When day after day we continue to permit children to be indoctrinated with the permissive pagan philosophies which are rampant in most social study programs; when day after day we permit children to be alienated from parents through the various money making family life/sex education materials; when day after day we permit all virtue and moral values to be destroyed through the vicious techniques of sensitivity training, role playing, diary keeping, operant conditioning, etc.; when we permit the introduction of computerized taxonomy; when we permit our school boards to sit idly by, and through silence, endorse these policies; when we can trace all of these problems directly to Hedonism and Humanism; when we consider all of these things; when we accept all of these indignities, all of these onslaughts against morality and individual integrity, together with many, many more indignities and insults, only then does the grinding insidiousness, the destructiveness of these ancient, barbaric philosophies, and the complacency of the modern day educator become startingly apparent, only then do we begin to realize how far we have strayed from our Christian principles.
"We need to conclude with one singular inescapable fact: dialectical materialism, and Darwinism, have exceedingly strong roots in Hedonism and Humanism, for both Hedonism and Humanism have flowered and taken on vigorous life under the later thesis and antithesis of dialectical materialism. Each is firmly and unmistakeably interconnected, for the latter evolved from the former, and it is the whole of the philosophies of Hedonism, Humanism, Darwinism and dialectical materialism which run rife throughout large segments of that system of progressive education, which includes various social studies courses, as well as studies in the humanities."
Now we must turn from the subject of Humanistic Philosophy to the newer and far more dangerous Humanistic Psychology. It is also necessary to demonstrate the interrelationship of Humanistic Psychology with PPBS, and the interrelationship of both with the rapidly developing Total Managed Global Society. And perhaps these interrelationships will be more easily understood if we show the interrelated involvements of three persons; William Glasser, Clement Stone, and Richard Nixon (not necessarily listed in the order of their importance).;
"Fulfilling the human potential" is the aim of Humanism. One particular plan which is intended to develop the individual's potential is called "Positive Mental Attitude," and the adherents to this mental cult are led by W. Clement Stone, Chicago multi-millionaire. Stone reckons his wealth at around $400 million and, as is the practice with many such individuals, instead of paying taxes on his earnings from the multi-national Chicago-based Combined Insurance Co., his two publishing houses (school textbooks a speciality), his Alberto-Culver Co. of Chicago, his Trans-American Video Co. of Los Angeles, his Texas citrus farm, and the rest of the 95 organizations with which he is affiliated as trustee, board member, stockholder, etc.; he established the W. Clement Stone and Jessie D. Stone Foundation. Through this foundation he finances -- among other things -- this Positive Mental Attitude program.
Clement Stone met Richard Nixon at a time when the politician had "lost faith in himself," and Stone told Nixon about PMA. He contents that "PMA changed a broken, defeatist Richard Nixon, emotionally wracked by his losses in 1960 to President John F. Kennedy and in 1962 to Calif. Gov. Edmund Brown, into a new man in the mid-1960s."
Stone liked Nixon and is sure that his PMA (which was adapted from Norman Vincent Peale's Power of Positive Thinking) made it possible for the twice-beaten Nixon to become President of the United States.
However, Stone did not rely entirely on his faith in PMA, just to help the campaign along, Stone contributed over a half million dollars to Nixon's election fund in 1968, and was the largest single contributor to Nixon's campaign fund in 1972 (well over a million dollars personally, plus what he gathered in as Nixon's chief fund-raiser).
The necessary "connecting link" in this story is supplied by a statement appearing in the Los Angeles Times of October 8, 1972. In an article by Times staff writer Francis Ward, Stone is quoted as boasting of the "secret formula" which he gave to Nixon, and insisting that "if he didn't have PMA, he would never have been elected President." Then comes the following, and it is quoted verbatim:
"Clem' Ston'es support for Mr. Nixon is not just a matter of party loyalty; it is a clear devotion 'to the man. I could see where the course of history could be changed for the better by backing his man, regardless of what it would take,' Stone said. Since 1968, he has been determined that Mr. Nixon 'wouldn't lose because of a lack of funds.'"
More bluntly: As a corporation executive, Clement Stone was committed to PPBS; as a political executive, Richard Nixon was equally committed to PPBS; and theirs was a partnership of convenience. Together, they would "change the world for the better" -- at least for their own betterment -- by making PPBS a universal "control system" for the changing world!
Now, let us remember that PPBS is a Fabian Socialist System. And Fabian Socialism relies on the twin powers of legislation and education for the "selling" of its end product. Nixon, if elected and re-elected President, would be in an ideal position to become the "change agent" for the conversion of the government to PPBS control. As for the educational change agent that would be required, let us consider one William Glasser, high priest of Humanist Psychology, leader in the new Third Force in educational circles, and also creator of the new sensitivity training course which he called Reality Therapy.
At about the same time W. Clement Stone met Richard M. Nixon and decided to make him President of the United States, he was also introduced to the activities of William Glasser, M.D., who had written a book on the subject of Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry.
The Glasser approach did not leave the Stone unturned; when the latter discovered that the former had turned from individual seances to group therapy and then to the indoctrination of whole schools, the Stone Foundation financed the establishment of an Educator Training Center, operated by Dr.Glasser for the purpose of teaching teachers how to use the PPBS methods in their classrooms. Stone also published the books Glasser found time to write and, in addition, the Stone Publishing companies put out a controversial series of textbooks called "Voices of Life Program." One critic, reviewing these textbooks that are written for grades kindergarten through 8, stated that:
"These social science textbooks are designed to impart little knowledge but concentrate on attitude change through using Glasser type methods of group discussion, inquiry technique, peer teaching and role playing. Where school districts have allowed their teachers to depart from the proven method of cirriculum instruction. . . . to this new innovative method, we often find that high IQ students become low achievers and chaos results. . . ."
Glasser published his book "Schools Without Failures" (the title describes the content) and at about the same time he was selected as a trainer of teachers and administrators who would introduce the PPBS methods into the schools. Glasser's entry into the school system itself (his Educator Training Center had been a private venture) was through the Federally funded Title III programs. After being introduced and installed from the top (HEW), then the program was to be financed on a long-range basis through local school district funds. The following quotation taken from the agenda of a Los Angeles Calif. School District (July 7, 1971) will explain the "M.O.":
"It is recommended that the Board (of Education) ratify the action of the Superintendent, Zone C, in requesting Educator Training Center (Wm. Glasser M.D.) to conduct 18 training sessions during May and June 1971, for administrators and faculty of Sunland and Pinewood Elementary Schools, covering the planning and implementation of P.P.B.S. in the school instructional programs." (Italics added -- Ed.)
Merely as a matter of confirmation of what we have already written (out of their own mouths), we quote the following from the dust jacket of Glasser's book Schools Without Failures:
". . . . Dr. Glasser has been a psychiatrist in private practice in Los Angeles since 1957 and has consulted widely in the correctional field . . . . Recently he has devoted himself more and more to education at various levels. He has taught a large group of city and county school administrators, counselors and teachers. . . . In order to help more people understand his ideas about education he has recently been able to establish, through the generosity of the Stone Foundation, the Educator Training Center. . . ."
Thus, through the generosity of Clement Stone, Richard Nixon was chosen to change the American system of Government, and William Glasser (among many, many others) was chosen to change the American Educational System. Both are change agents for the promoters of PPBS, and both were able turn to a Stone for their bread (with apology for the pun which we couldn't resist).
Please don't overestimate the importance of these men as individuals. Stone is but one of many moneyed men being used to finance the proselytizing of prospects who can be converted to the faith of Humanism. Glasser is but one of hundreds of change agents being used to train other change agents for the "end product" purposes of PPBS. And Nixon could be replaced by any one of the source of opportunistic politicians who are convinced that the Planning, Programming, Budgeting System is the wave of the future, and who are trying to ride the wave toward the shifting sands of time.
And there are scores of proselytizers who preach this same Humanism, pretending that it is Christianity, attempting to change the faith of the citizenry-at-large, even as the Nixons are converting the bureaucrats and changing our form of government from a Representative Republic to a Corporate Socialist State in a Socialist World Government, and as the Glassers are fashioning Newthink citizens to inhabit this World of Tomorrow.
As an example, there is the mysteriously financed church group headed by the Armstrongs, based in Pasadena; and because they are pro-Creation and anti-Evolution, they are accepted as a Christian organization; though in every other respect theirs is the good news of Humanism (as is all other British-Israel thinking), as opposed to the Gospel of salvation through re-birth in the Spirit (John 3:5,6,7).
Also, through the efforts of the National Council of Churches and similar organizations in the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches, this same Humanism is being used to pervert and prepare man for the New Order of the Ages, which they present as being of the flesh rather than of the Spirit.
(To Be Continued)
-----------------------------
For information concerning this letter, write: DON BELL REPORTS, P.O. Box 2223, Palm Beach, Florida 33480